Inkstand



(No Model.)

M. J. HUGHES.

INKSTAND.

No. 326,118. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

Inveroio-r,

7 UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSHALL J. HUGHES, OF JERSEY OITY, NE\V JERSEY.

I N K STA N D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,118, dated September 15, 1885.

Application filed October 8, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL J. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Jersey City, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Inkstands for Use in Chromatic \Nriting, fully described and represented in the following specification, and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. v

This invention relates generally to a writing apparatus by which letters, characters, and ruled lines consisting of two colors can be produced at a single operation.

The invention relates more particularly, however, to an inkstand which is designed'for use in connection with those pens, or writinginstruments in which two writing-points are arranged in close proximity to each other, in such manner that two distinct lines are produced by a single operation, it being the object of the invention to provide an inkstand for use in connection with such writing-instruments by which the two writing-points can be simultaneously inked with different colors without delay and without danger of mixing the inks or soiling the hands of the user.

To these ends the invention consists in an inkstand having the peculiarities of construction which will be hereinafter fully explained, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inkstand embodying the present invention, showing also a writing-instrument of suitable construction to be used in connection therewith to produce letters, or characters, or ruled lines in two colors, the writing-instrument being shown in the position it will occupy when the pens are being inked. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the inkstand, taken upon the lines 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the writing instrument shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same; and Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of writing-instrument which is adapted to be used in connection with the inkstand to produce three lines simultaneously, two of the lines being in one color and one in a different color.

Referring to said figures, it is to be understood that the body 10 of the inkstand is mad of glass, metal, or any other suitable material, and of any convenient form. This body is provided with a suitable recess or chamber, in which rests a cup, 11, for holding the ink. This cup, which may also be made of any ofthe materials commonly employed for such purposes, is made removable from the body 10, so that it may be readily cleaned when desired, and is provided with a thin diaphragm or partition, 12, which divides it into two separate compartments or ink wells, 13 14, for containing inks of two different colors; The partition 12 is made of thin metal 01' other suitable material, so that it may readily pass between the nibs or points of the pens, and is provided at one side with a projection, 15, extending above the top of the body, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I

The inkstand just described is well adapted for use in connection with-many of the forms of double-pointed writing-instruments which have heretofore been in common'use; but the best form of instrument for use in connection with this inkstand is that shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. This instrument, consists of a handle,

16, which is of the ordinary form, and is provided at its lower end with a cross-head, 17, in the opposite ends of-which are arranged pen-clamps 18 19 for receiving the two pens 2O 21. The clamps 18 19 are arrangedQas will be observed, at such an angleto each other that when the pens are inserted their nibs 22 will lie in close proximity to each other.

From this arrangement it results that by adjusting the pens 20 21 to different positions in the clamps, their nibs can be brought to anydesired degree of proximity, so that the lines made by the pens in the act of writing orruling will be at any desired distance from each other. The clamps 18 19 will preferably be made comparatively short, as shown, so that the rear ends of the pens will project through them, thereby making it possible to adjust the pens by taking hold of their rear ends, thus avoiding all liability of soiling the will be filled with inks of the desired colors, 10o

and the pens will be placed above the ink stand in such position that the projection 15 will pass through the opening 23 between the bodies of the pens. By then withdrawing the pens a short distance the projection will be brought between their nibs, and then by lifting the handle the pens can be passed downward upon opposite sides of the partition 12 into the wells, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to simultaneously receive the different-colored inks at one dip. The pens thus inked may then be used in the ordinary manner, either to produce two parallel ruled lines in different colors, which I find desirable in drawing and bookkeeping, or to produce letters or characters consisting of double lines in differentcolors, which is desirable in many styles of ornamental writing.

While I am well aware that pens have heretofore been produced which were capable of producing two lines simultaneously, I am not aware that any means has heretofore been provided by which it was possible practically to simultaneously ink the two pens with different-colored inks; It will readily be seen that without some means of accomplishing this result the use of these double pens is rendered very difficult. This difficulty is entirely overcome by the inkstand just described, in which the two wells are separated from each other only by the thin partition provided with the projection 15, by which means the user is enabled to quickly insert the two pens in the different-colored inks, even when their nibs are adjusted in their closest relation.

The advantages of the inkstand j ustdescribed will be readily apparentto those who desire an apparatus of this character, as by it the two pens can be inked in different colors at a single dip, so as to produce writing or ruling in two colors by a single operation, and with no more trouble than attends the use of an ordinary pen.

Ifin any case it should be desired to produce three instead of two lines, one of said lines being in a color different from the other two, an instrument of the construction shown in Fig. 5 may be used in connection with the inkstand, two of the pens, as 20 25, passing down upon one side of the partition 12, while the remaining pen, 21, passes down upon the other side so as to be inked in a different color. With such an instrument the middle pen, 25, is inserted in an ordinary pen-clamp, 24., which extends directly from the handle 16, while the outside pens are inserted in clamps 18 19, which may be of the same construction as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, or may be secured to the cross-head 17 by means of slots 9 and set-screws 8, so that the adjustment of the nibs of the pens can be effected by moving the clamps instead of by moving the pens in the clamps. I

In conclusion, it is to be remarked that while it is preferable that the inkwells should be formed in a cup, as 11, which is capable of re moval fromthe body of the stand, so as to be readily cleaned, this is-of course not essential. The cup may be dispensed with, the opening in the body of the stand being provided with a permanent partition having the projection 15. It is also apparent that the inkstand here in shown can be used' instead of an ordinary inkstand, so that when a person is provided with an inkstand of this character an ordinary inkstand may be dispensed with, thus making it necessary to provide only one inkstand for ordinary purposes and for use in producing chromatic writing.

I do not herein claim the novel features in the pen-holder herein shown and described, but reserve the right to claim such features in a future application.

What I claim is The herein-described inkstand consisting of the body 10, provided with two ink-wells, 13 14, the mouths of which are separated from each other by the thin diaphragm or partition 12, having the upward projection 15, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARSHALL J. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

J. A. HOVEY, T. H. PALMER. 

